Notre Dame offense finds its groove before Boise State test

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame has snapped out of its slump, and the offense is leading the charge. Ranked 11th in the nation in scoring at 44 points per game, the Irish put up 641 total yards against Arkansas — the most by any FBS team last weekend.

Freshman quarterback CJ Carr has been the spark. He completed over 73 percent of his passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns, earning the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week, the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week, and a spot on the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list. His four first-half touchdown passes tied for the second-most in program history.

Carr isn’t just turning heads in South Bend — he leads all freshmen nationally in yards per attempt, yards per completion, and passing efficiency. Safety Tae Johnson said practicing against Carr gives the defense a look at throws “a lot of quarterbacks in the country can’t make.”

The ground game has been just as explosive. Jadarian Price rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns, while Jeremiyah Love added 57 yards and four scores. In the passing game, Jordan Faison emerged as a reliable target with seven catches for 89 yards — six of them moving the chains. Carr even called him his “lucky clover” for always being in the right place.

The Irish now turn to another test against Boise State, which ranks ninth in total offense nationally but has one of the weakest red-zone defenses in FBS, allowing scores on every trip inside the 20. Marcus Freeman says winning one-on-ones will be key.